NFL Coach Faces Battle Off Field, Inspires Team to Victory
Monday, December 31, 2012
Watch: Moment of Impact: Crash Landing in Moscow
NFL Coach Faces Battle Off Field, Inspires Team to Victory
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Watch: Second Holiday Storm Creates Travel Nightmare
NFL Coach Faces Battle Off Field, Inspires Team to Victory
Watch: Instant Index: Goats Feast on Christmas Trees; Kuala Lampur Leap
NFL Coach Faces Battle Off Field, Inspires Team to Victory
Saturday, December 29, 2012
FBI Erases Marilyn Monroe Redactions
FBI files on Marilyn Monroe that could not be located earlier this year have been found and re-issued, revealing the names of some of the movie star's communist-leaning friends who drew concern from government officials and her own entourage.
But the records, which previously had been heavily redacted, do not contain any new information about Monroe's death 50 years ago. Letters and news clippings included in the files show the bureau was aware of theories the actress had been killed, but they do not show that any effort was undertaken to investigate the claims. Los Angeles authorities concluded Monroe's death was a probable suicide.
Recently obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act, the updated FBI files do show the extent the agency was monitoring Monroe for ties to communism in the years before her death in August 1962.
The records reveal that some in Monroe's inner circle were concerned about her association with Frederick Vanderbilt Field, who was disinherited from his wealthy family over his leftist views.
A trip to Mexico earlier that year to shop for furniture brought Monroe in contact with Field, who was living in the country with his wife in self-imposed exile. Informants reported to the FBI that a "mutual infatuation" had developed between Field and Monroe, which caused concern among some in her inner circle, including her therapist, the files state.
"This situation caused considerable dismay among Miss Monroe's entourage and also among the (American Communist Group in Mexico)," the file states. It includes references to an interior decorator who worked with Monroe's analyst reporting her connection to Field to the doctor.
Field's autobiography devotes an entire chapter to Monroe's Mexico trip, "An Indian Summer Interlude." He mentions that he and his wife accompanied Monroe on shopping trips and meals and he only mentions politics once in a passage on their dinnertime conversations.
"She talked mostly about herself and some of the people who had been or still were important to her," Field wrote in "From Right to Left." ''She told us about her strong feelings for civil rights, for black equality, as well as her admiration for what was being done in China, her anger at red-baiting and McCarthyism and her hatred of (FBI director) J. Edgar Hoover."
Under Hoover's watch, the FBI kept tabs on the political and social lives of many celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin and Monroe's ex-husband Arthur Miller. The bureau has also been involved in numerous investigations about crimes against celebrities, including threats against Elizabeth Taylor, an extortion case involving Clark Gable and more recently, trying to solve who killed rapper Notorious B.I.G.
The AP had sought the removal of redactions from Monroe's FBI files earlier this year as part of a series of stories on the 50th anniversary of Monroe's death. The FBI had reported that it had transferred the files to a National Archives facility in Maryland, but archivists said the documents had not been received. A few months after requesting details on the transfer, the FBI released an updated version of the files that eliminate dozens of redactions.
For years, the files have intrigued investigators, biographers and those who don't believe Monroe's death at her Los Angeles area home was a suicide.
Watch: Instant Index: Marilyn Monroe's Communist Past?
Instant Index: Marilyn Monroe's Communist Past?
Friday, December 28, 2012
Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf Dies at 78
H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the retired general credited with leading U.S.-allied forces to a victory in the first Gulf War, died today at age 78.
The man who Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today called "one of the great military giants of the 20th century" died in Tampa, Fla., where he lived in retirement, the Associated Press reported.
"The men and women of the Department of Defense join me in mourning the loss of General Norman Schwarzkopf, whose 35 years of service in uniform left an indelible imprint on the United States military and on the country," Panetta said in a statement. "My thoughts and prayers are with the Schwarzkopf family in this time of sadness and grief."
Schwarzkopf, called "Stormin' Norman" because of his reportedly explosive temper, led America to two military victories: a small one in Grenada in the 1980s and a big one as de facto commander of allied forces in the Gulf War in 1991.
"'Stormin' Norman' led the coalition forces to victory, ejecting the Iraqi Army from Kuwait and restoring the rightful government," read a statement by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War. "His leadership not only inspired his troops, but also inspired the nation."
WATCH: Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf to Saddam Hussein: 'Get Outta Town'
Schwarzkopf's success during that fight, also known as Operation Desert Storm, came under President George H.W. Bush, who through his office today mourned "the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation."
"Gen. Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises," Bush said. "More than that, he was a good and decent man -- and a dear friend."
Bush's office released the statement though the former president, himself, was ill, hospitalized in Texas with a stubborn fever and on a liquids-only diet.
The current White House occupant, President Obama, also memorialized Schwarzkopf, declaring him "an American original" who "stood tall for the country and Army he loved."
The future four-star general was born Aug. 24, 1934, in Trenton, N.J.
Schwarzkopf's father, who shared his name, directed the investigation of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping as head of the New Jersey State Police, later becoming a brigadier general in the U.S. Army.
Schwarzkopf was raised as an army brat in Iran, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, following in his father's footsteps to West Point, earning an engineering degree and being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1956.
WATCH: Gen. Schwarzkopf's '5 Minutes of Unimportant Questions'
He earned three Silver Stars for bravery during two tours in Vietnam, gaining a reputation as an opinionated, plain-spoken commander with a sharp temper who would risk his own life for his soldiers.
"He had volunteered to go to Vietnam early just so he could get there before the war ended," said former Army Col. William McKinney, who knew Schwarzkopf from their days at West Point, according to ABC News Radio.
In 1983, as a newly-minted general, Schwarzkopf once again led troops into battle in President Reagan's invasion of Granada, a tiny Caribbean island where the White House saw American influence threatened by a Cuban-backed coup.
But he gained most of his fame in Iraq, where he used his 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame and fearsome temper to drive his forces to victory.
"He was known as a soldier's general," said retired Maj. Gen. Donald Shepperd, as he explained the "Stormin' Norman" nickname to ABC News Radio. "In other words, he really liked the troops and was soft on the troops. But boy, on his general officers, his officers, his NCO's, he was very, very tough and he had a real quick temper."
PHOTOS: In Memoriam: People We Lost in 2012
Gruff and direct, Schwarzkopf said during the Gulf War that his goal was to win the war as quickly as possible and with a focused objective: getting Iraq out of Kuwait.
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Watch: Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Dead at 78
Next Steps for Fiscal Cliff? 'God Only Knows,' Says Boehner
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Stolen Dog Returned to Heartbroken Girl
A heartbroken 7-year-old girl's Christmas wish came true when New York City cops nabbed the Grinch that stole her dog and a good Samaritan helped reunite her with the missing pooch.
On Christmas Day, a beaming Mia Bendray, 7, wrapped her arms around Marley, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, who had been brazenly unleashed and taken from outside a shop in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood on Christmas Eve. The theft was caught on tape and police provided the video to news outlets.
"Thank you, the people of Washington Heights' Those great Samaritans' And now we got him on Christmas Day," Mia's mother Angie Estrada told WABC-TV.
The dog was rescued by Tina Cohen, a high school Spanish teacher, who came across a man on Monday in another section of Manhattan standing on a street corner and yelling that he had a dog for sale.
"I said that's not right. I said I'd like to buy the dog. I only have $100," Cohen said.
When the man demanded more cash, Cohen said she went to a nearby Staples and bought merchandise she then returned for cash. She bought Marley for $200 and quickly took the dog to the veterinarian that treats her own dogs.
In the meantime, other bystanders called the cops, who soon collared the alleged dognapper Brad Bacon, 29. Bacon appears to have been caught on video taking the dog on Monday.
He has not yet been arraigned. Authorities did not know if he had obtained a lawyer.
Cohen's vet was able to track down Marley's owner from a microchip implanted in the dog's skin and with help from an animal rescue group that had learned about the stolen pup.
On Tuesday when Cohen watched Marley jump into Mia's arms, she said: "You guys belong together. I'm so happy you are together."
"That was the worst thing, there was a Grinch that was live and about in New York," the girls' mom said. "The Grinch didn't win today."
Watch: Christmas Miracle: Stolen Puppy Comes Home for Holidays
Stolen Dog Returned: Mother, Daughter Interview
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Stolen Dog Returned: Mother, Daughter Interview
Monday, December 24, 2012
Watch: Holiday Shopping with No Budget
Instant Index: Newsweek's Final Print, Tracking Santa's Journey
Watch: Holiday Homecoming: Soldier Surprises Mother in Time for Christmas
Instant Index: Newsweek's Final Print, Tracking Santa's Journey
Watch: Season of Giving: Newtown Tragedy Inspires Country to Spread Kindness
Instant Index: Newsweek's Final Print, Tracking Santa's Journey
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Wild Weather Upends Holiday Travel
With snow, wind and rain in the Midwest, South, Northeast and Pacific Northwest disrupting holiday travel plans days before Christmas, airports were brimming tales of frustration and fiasco.
As of 4:30 p.m. ET today, there were 654 flight cancellations and 8,331 delays on the day, FlightStats.com reported. New York-area airports reported delays of from one and three hours because of wind. San Francisco was also having high winds, with airport delays ranging from 30 minutes to three hours.
New York-area airports canceled at least 195 flights today.
In Chicago, rain turned to snow before tapering off today, so less than a half an inch of snow accumulated at O'Hare Airport.
However, on Thursday, Chicago's airports reported 646 cancellations.
For information on flight delays and cancellations, please visit FlightStats, Inc.
Among those affected at O'Hare were the Apter family, whose flight aboard American Airlines was cancelled Thursday evening. Their nine months of planning a family trip to Peru for Christmas were ruined.
"It's frustrating," said Leslie Apter, the mother of the family. "We're going home. We're not happy."
Greg Apter, the father, spent much of night trying to find a solution.
"We spent, what, six hours last night trying to work different ways to get through Miami to Peru," he said, "and there [are] just no connections -- not until the 25th."
The Saturday before Christmas is typically one of the busiest travel days, with 200,000 travelers at Chicago's O'Hare airport and 66,000 at Midway, according to the city.
Southwest Airlines said it would be ceasing operations at Midway Airport altogether at 4:30 p.m. CT until Saturday.
Ripple effects on travel from Thursday's storm were felt all the way to Los Angeles.
And there was more bad news today up the West Coast. Heavy rain drenched the Pacific Northwest, causing landslides in Oregon and shutting down rail service from in parts of Washington state after 11 landslides in three days.
The Thursday storm that caused all that travel unhappiness ripped scaffolding from buildings in New York City today, rocked rough waves across the Great Lakes, and left far-from-perfect roads for the 83 million people expected to hit them this weekend.
Lashing winds and blowing snow stretched from Nebraska to Michigan overnight, shutting down major highways across the region as drivers struggled to stay on the road.
At least 1,000 road accidents were reported overnight, including one north of Des Moines, Iowa, where at least 25 vehicles slammed into each other. There were so many accidents in Iowa that the National Guard was called in to help motorists, including pre-teen Isaac Wilson.
"The U.S. Army came and put us in this really fancy truck, and we got blankets and snacks," Wilson of Millard, Iowa, told ABC News.
Up to 20 inches of snow fell in Madison, Wis., while up to 14 inches fell in Iowa. Madison, Dubuque, Iowa, and Des Moines, Iowa, all had daily record snowfall Thursday. The University of Wisconsin cancelled some final exams.
In recent days, two tornadoes reportedly touched down in Arkansas, while one was reported in Alabama and another in Florida. The most significant damage was from a tornado in Mobile, Ala., with winds of 86 to 110 mph and a path length of 7 miles.
Severe storms moved offshore today and the Southeast and the Gulf Coast were expected to dry out.
This weekend was expected to be much quieter for almost everyone -- except for that storm on the West Coast.
ABC News' Daniel Clark and Max Golembo contributed to this report.
Watch: Christmas Storms Move in as Millions Head Out
Wheel of Misfortune: Mistake Costs Game Show Contestant Thousands
Watch: Wheel of Misfortune: Mistake Costs Game Show Contestant Thousands
Wheel of Misfortune: Mistake Costs Game Show Contestant Thousands
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Watch: Made in America Christmas Edition: American Consumers Save Company
Moses' Land: Who Built Egypt's Ancient Pyramids?
Watch: Back to the Beginning: The Real Story of Noah's Ark
Moses' Land: Who Built Egypt's Ancient Pyramids?
Friday, December 21, 2012
Watch: Nation Braces for Busy Holiday Travel, Airports Feeling Pressure
Nation Braces for Busy Holiday Travel, Airports Feeling Pressure
Blizzard Threatens Christmas Travel
A pre-Christmas blizzard that is battering at least eight states in the middle of the nation could trip up travelers headed home in the coming days.
As of this afternoon, nearly 20 inches of snow had been reported in Colorado just west of Denver. Six to 10 inches had been reported in Nebraska. Between 3 and 8 inches had accumulated in Iowa and more was possible. Snow was falling 2 inches per hour in Wisconsin.
No planes were able to land at Iowa's Des Moines International Airport late this afternoon. All flights were cancelled until at least 11:45 a.m. Friday.
Chicago may prove most problematic for travelers. Rain had cancelled 400 flights into and out of Chicago O'Hare by late afternoon today, according to data from FlightAware.
Snow and wind expected tonight was likely to further complicate travel and likely cancel more flights.
American was cancelling all flights to and from O'Hare at 9 p.m. ET.
Southwest Airlines was cancelling all departures and arrivals at Midway Airport as of 4 p.m. local time. On a typical day, the airline has between 200 and 220 flights in and out of Midway.
Southwest was also planning to cancel all arrivals and departures from the Milwaukee Airport as of 6 p.m. local time. Southwest has 35 flights in and out of Milwaukee.
Several airlines issued flexible travel policies today, allowing travelers with flights into, out of and through affected areas to change their plans without penalty.
For example, travelers headed to O'Hare today on American Airlines could change their flight to any day from Dec. 21 to Dec. 25. Delta, United and others had similar policies.
Airlines for America, an airline industry trade group, estimated that 42 million passengers will fly on U.S. airlines for the 21-day holiday travel period from Dec 17 to Jan 6. Daily passenger volumes were expected to range from 1.5 million to 2.3 million people.
The busiest days of the Christmas travel season were expected to be Dec. 21, 22, 23 and 26, and Jan 2. Foul weather in major hub cities, particularly on those days, would most certainly cause travel headaches on the roads and in the skies.
When bad weather grounds flights at major airports, delays pile up around the nation, stranding travelers even in places where the weather is good. And because planes fly so full around the holidays, it's difficult for the airlines to find empty seats to accommodate fliers whose flights have been cancelled.
Passengers are entitled to a refund if their flight is cancelled.
Travelers should confirm their flight is taking off as planned on their carrier's website before leaving their homes.
If you are at the airport by the time you find out, use every avenue available to get re-accommodated. While you stand on line to talk to a customer service agent, also call your carrier and use Twitter to get in touch with your airline. Many airlines are faster to respond on Twitter than on the phone. Delta Airlines and JetBlue are particularly active.
A few Twitter handles to know:
@JetBlue
@DeltaAssist
@AmericanAir
@United
@SouthwestAir
@FlyFrontier
@USAirways
Travelers who find themselves stranded and in need of a hotel room should use apps such as HotelTonight, Travelocity's LastMinute.com hotel booking app and the Priceline app to find deals on last-minute hotel stays.
RELATED: The Best Last-Minute Hotel Booking App
The Midwest storm was expected to move east tonight, spreading rain into the Northeast, with some areas from Washington, D.C., to Boston getting as much as 2 inches.
Behind the storm, cold air was forecast to come in and change rain to snow in western Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and West Virginia, where 3 to 14 inches (in the highest elevations) could accumulate.
The severe weather was also impacting drivers in the Midwest Thursday afternoon. In Iowa, there were more than 88 crashes, with hundreds of motorists calling for assistance. Most of Wisconsin was reeling, with hundreds of emergency calls placed. In Missouri, emergency responders were being dispatched to everything from slide offs and minor crashes to sites where injuries had occurred.
ABC News' Max Golembo and Ginger Zee contributed to this report.
Watch: Monster Storm Imminent As Holiday Travel Begins
Nation Braces for Busy Holiday Travel, Airports Feeling Pressure
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Obama Invokes Newtown on 'Cliff' Deal
Invoking the somber aftermath of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., President Obama today appealed to congressional Republicans to embrace a standing "fair deal" on taxes and spending that would avert the fiscal cliff in 13 days.
"If there's one thing we should have after this week, it should be a sense of perspective about what's important," Obama said at a midday news conference.
"I would like to think that members of that [Republican] caucus would say to themselves, 'You know what? We disagree with the president on a whole bunch of things,'" he said. "'But right now what the country needs is for us to compromise.'"
House Speaker John Boehner's response: "Get serious."
Boehner announced at a 52-second news conference that the House will vote Thursday to approve a "plan B" to a broad White House deal -- and authorize simply extending current tax rates for people earning less than $1 million a year and little more.
"Then, the president will have a decision to make," the Ohio Republican said. "He can call on Senate Democrats to pass that bill or he could be responsible for the largest tax increase in American history."
Unless Congress acts by Dec. 31, every American will face higher income tax rates and government programs will get hit with deep automatic cuts starting in 2013.
Obama and Boehner have been inching closer to a deal on tax hikes and spending cuts to help reduce the deficit. But they have not yet had a breakthrough on a deal.
Obama's latest plan would raise $1.2 trillion in new tax revenue over 10 years, largely through higher tax rates on incomes above $400,000. He also proposes roughly $930 billion in spending cuts, including new limits on entitlement spending, such as slower annual cost-of-living increases for Social Security beneficiaries.
Boehner has agreed to $1 trillion in new tax revenue, with a tax rate hike for households earning over $1 million. He is seeking more than $1 trillion in spending cuts, with significant changes to Medicare and Social Security.
The president said today that he remains "optimistic" about reaching a broad compromise by Christmas because both sides are "pretty close," a sentiment that has been publicly shared by Boehner.
But the speaker's backup plan has, at least temporarily, stymied talks, with no reported contact between the sides since Monday.
"The speaker should return to the negotiating table with the president because if he does I firmly believe we can have an agreement before Christmas," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a White House ally.
Schumer said Obama and Boehner are "not that far apart" in the negotiations.
"If they were to come to an agreement by Friday, they could write this stuff over the Christmas break and then we'd have to come back before the New Year and pass it," Schumer said.
Obama said he is "open to conversations" and planned to reach out to congressional leaders over the next few days to try to nudge Republicans to accept a "fair deal."
"At some point, there's got to be, I think, a recognition on the part of my Republican friends that -- you know, take the deal," he told reporters.
"They keep on finding ways to say no, as opposed to finding ways to say yes," Obama added. "At some point, you know, they've got take me out of it and think about their voters and think about what's best for the country."
Watch: Retired Sandy Hook Principal Returns to Help Community Heal
President Obama Promises Action to Reduce Gun Violence
Watch: President Obama Promises Action to Reduce Gun Violence
President Obama Promises Action to Reduce Gun Violence
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Watch: Cerberus Capital Management to Sell Investments in Gun Maker
Newtown, Connecticut Tries to Return to Normal
Newtown Shooting: Bushmaster Under Fire
When the private investment firm Cerberus Capital Management announced Tuesday it would unload its interest in Bushmaster ' the company that built the weapon used in last week's mass murder of 20 Connecticut first graders -- it marked the beginning of what experts say is likely to be a challenging period for the North Carolina-based weapons manufacturer.
"They are looking at a taint on their brand and looking at a marketplace that could change dramatically with respect to their weapon," said Chris Lehane, a crisis public relations expert who worked in the Clinton White House. "To me the fact that Cerberus is pulling out is a pretty significant defining moment."
For years, Bushmaster has been marketing itself to testosterone-fueled male customers, issuing "man cards" to customers who want to be "card carrying men." Now, Lehane and others said the company is facing the prospect of being branded the weapon of choice for mass killers. The Newtown, Connecticut shooting marked the fourth time a Bushmaster has been implicated in a mass shooting since 1999, including the Beltway sniper case that left 10 dead and three more wounded.
Cerberus announced Tuesday it wanted distance from Bushmaster, calling the murder of 20 first grade children at Sandy Hook Elementary School a "watershed event." The investment firm, which is chaired by former Vice President Dan Quayle, noted in its statement that Bushmaster may not be an investment consistent with the interests of its clients. Its investors include the pension plans of firemen, teachers, and policemen.
Lehane said the announcement could signal a shift in the way investors view companies that make military style weapons for a civilian market.
"It reminds me of the time when tobacco began to be associated with a negative light, or the divestiture movement surrounding companies in South Africa," he said. "Where financial markets believe they are going to pay a price."
In addition, a spokesman for Cerberus Group confirmed that the father of Stephen Feinberg, the founder of Cerberus Group, lives in Newtown.
Gun control groups have also lined up to criticize the weapons manufacturer, arguing that the company was selling civilian customers a weapon clearly designed for war.
"This thing is just a killing machine," said Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. "[I]t's a weapon that can easily shoot hundreds of ' In fact it's very similar to the weapon that James Holmes used to shoot up the movie theater in Aurora."
The company has not responded to phone calls seeking comment, but gun enthusiasts say the weapon's menacing appearance can appeal to civilians looking for a means to secure their homes, and its ease of use can appeal to those looking for a weapon for target shooting.
"The [assault rifle] platform is the most popular in the country," said Frank Cornwall, a firearms instructor in Connecticut. "Civilians have always bought similar type arms to the military. And this is a very versatile platform. Quite a popular hunting and target shooting gun."
Phillip Stutts, a crisis management consultant who worked for President George W. Bush, said he has been surprised by the silence of the gun manufacturer.
"Bushmaster doesn't have to take responsibility for this tragedy, but they have a responsibility to respond to this tragedy," he said. "And they haven't. They have to get out in front of this. It needs to be corrected ASAP."
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Newtown Mourners: 'Noah, Rest in Peace'
Visibly shaken attendees exiting the funeral today for 6-year-old Noah Pozner, one of 20 children killed in the Connecticut school massacre last week, said they were touched by a story that summed up the first-grader best.
His mother, Veronique, would often tell him how much she loved him and he'd respond: "Not as much as I [love] you," said a New York man who attended the funeral but was not a member of the family.
Noah's family had been scheduled to greet the public before the funeral service began at 1 p.m. at the Abraham L. Green & Son Funeral Home in Fairfield, Conn. The burial was to follow at the B'nai Israel Cemetery in Monroe, Conn. Those present said they were in awe at the composure of Noah's mother.
Rabbi Edgar Gluck, who attended the service, said the first person to speak was Noah's mother, who told mourners that her son's ambition when he grew up was to be either a director of a plant that makes tacos -- because that was his favorite food -- or to be a doctor.
Outside the funeral home, a small memorial lay with a sign reading: "Our hearts are with you, Noah." A red rose was also left behind along with two teddy bears with white flowers and a blue toy car with a note saying "Noah, rest in peace."
CLICK HERE for complete coverage of the tragedy at Sandy Hook.
The funeral home was adorned with white balloons as members of the surrounding communities came also to pay their respects, which included a rabbi from Bridgeport. More than a dozen police officers were at the front of the funeral home, and an ambulance was on standby at a gas station at the corner.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, U.S. Rep. and Sen.-Elect Chris Murphy and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, all of Connecticut, were in attendance, the Connecticut Post reported.
Noah was an inquisitive boy who liked to figure out how things worked mechanically, The Associated Press reported. His twin sister, Arielle, was one of the students who survived when her teacher hid her class in the bathroom during the attack.
CLICK HERE for a tribute to the shooting victims.
The twins celebrated their sixth birthday last month. Noah's uncle Alexis Haller told the AP that he was "smart as a whip," gentle but with a rambunctious streak. He called his twin sister his best friend.
"They were always playing together, they loved to do things together," Haller said.
The funeral for Jack Pinto, 6, was also held today, at the Honan Funeral Home in Newtown. He was to be buried at Newtown Village Cemetery.
Jack's family said he loved football, skiing, wrestling and reading, and he also loved his school. Friends from his wrestling team attended his funeral today in their uniforms. One mourner said the message during the service was: "You're secure now. The worst is over."
Family members say they are not dwelling on his death, but instead on the gift of his life that they will cherish.
The family released a statement, saying, Jack was an "inspiration to all those who knew him."
"He had a wide smile that would simply light up the room and while we are all uncertain as to how we will ever cope without him, we choose to remember and celebrate his life," the statement said. "Not dwelling on the loss but instead on the gift that we were given and will forever cherish in our hearts forever."
Jack and Noah were two of 20 children killed Friday morning at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., when 20-year-old Adam Lanza sprayed two first-grade classrooms with bullets that also killed six adults.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Watch: Connecticut Shooting Tragedy: The Investigation
Newtown, Connecticut Shooting: 27 Killed, Gunman Dead
Watch: Connecticut Shooting Tragedy: The Shooter
Newtown, Connecticut Shooting: 27 Killed, Gunman Dead
Watch: Connecticut Shooting Tragedy: The Victims
Newtown, Connecticut Shooting: 27 Killed, Gunman Dead
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Watch: Connecticut Shooting: Teacher Kaitlin Roig Protected Her Students
Newtown, Connecticut Shooting: 27 Killed, Gunman Dead
20 Children Died in School Massacre
Twenty children died today when a heavily armed man invaded a Newtown, Conn., elementary school and sprayed staff and students with bullets.
The gunman, identified as Adam Lanza, 20, was found dead in the school.
Lt. Paul Vance said 18 children died in Sandy Hook Elementary School and two more died later in a hospital.
Six adults also were slain, bringing the total to 26. Among them was the school's principal, Dawn Hochsprung, multiple sources told ABC News.
In addition to the casualties at the school, Lanza's mother, Nancy Lanza, was killed in her home, federal and state sources told ABC News.
According to sources, Lanza shot his mother in the face, then left his house armed with at least two semi-automatic handguns, a Glock and a Sig Sauer, and a semi-automatic rifle. He was also wearing a bulletproof vest.
Lanza drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School and continued his rampage, killing 26 people, authorities said. He was found dead at the school. It appeared that he died from what was believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The rifle was found in his car.
LIVE UPDATES: Newtown, Conn., School Shooting
In the early confusion surrounding the investigation, federal sources initially identified the suspect as Adam's older brother Ryan Lanza, 24. Identification belonging to Ryan Lanza was found at the shooting scene, federal sources told ABC News.
Ryan Lanza was being questioned by police.
In fact, numerous relatives and friends of the gunman, Adam Lanza, and his mother were being interviewed by the FBI in New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts, all in an effort to put together a better picture of Lanza and any possible explanation for the massacre.
"Evil visited this community today," Gov. Dan Malloy said at a news conference this evening.
First-grade teacher Kaitlin Roig, 29, locked her 14 students in a class bathroom and listened to "tons of shooting" until police came to help.
"It was horrific," Roig said. "I thought we were going to die."
She said that the terrified kids were saying, "I just want Christmas. ... I don't want to die. I just want to have Christmas."
CLICK HERE for more photos from the scene.
A tearful President Obama said Friday that there was "not a parent in America who doesn't feel the overwhelming grief that I do."
The president had to pause to compose himself after saying these were "beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10."
As he continued with his statement, Obama wiped away tears from each eye. He has ordered flags flown as half staff.
The massacre prompted the town of Newtown to lock down all its schools and draw SWAT teams to the school, authorities said. Authorities initially believed that there were two gunmen and were searching cars around the school, but authorities did not appear to be looking for another gunman.
The alert at the school ended when Vance announced, "The shooter is deceased inside the building. The public is not in danger."
It is the second worst mass shooting in U.S. history, exceeded only by the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 when 32 were killed before the shooter turned the gun on himself. The carnage in Connecticut exceeded the 1999 Columbine High School shooting in which 13 died and 24 were injured.
Friday's shooting came three days after masked gunman Jacob Roberts opened fire in a busy Oregon mall, killing two before turning the gun on himself.
The Connecticut shooting occurred at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, which includes 450 students in grades K-4. The town is located about 12 miles east of Danbury, Conn.
Watch: Newtown, Connecticut Shooting: 27 Killed, Gunman Dead
Newtown, Connecticut Shooting: 27 Killed, Gunman Dead
Friday, December 14, 2012
Watch: Syrian President Bashar Assad's Regime Near Collapse
Instant Index: Inventor of the Bar Code, Norman Woodland, Dies
Russia Positions Itself for Fall of Syrian Regime
Syria's most powerful ally and protector, Russia, began positioning itself Thursday for the fall of President Bashar Assad, saying for the first time that rebels might overthrow him and preparing to evacuate thousands of Russian citizens from the country.
The head of NATO echoed the Russian assessment, saying the Syrian government is near collapse following a nearly two-year conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people and threatened to ignite the Middle East. Assad appears to be running out of options, with insurgents at the gates of the capital and the country fracturing under the weight of a devastating civil war.
"An opposition victory can't be excluded, unfortunately, but it's necessary to look at the facts: There is a trend for the government to progressively lose control over an increasing part of the territory," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Moscow's Middle East envoy, said during hearings at a Kremlin advisory body.
Still, Bogdanov gave no immediate signal that Russia would change its pro-Syria stance at the U.N. Security Council, where Moscow has shielded Damascus from world sanctions.
The U.S. commended Russia "for finally waking up to the reality and acknowledging that the regime's days are numbered," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian citizens gather in front of a damaged building destroyed by a car bomb in Qatana, (25) kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Damascus, Syria, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. A bomb blast near a school in a Damascus suburb killed more than a dozen people, at least half of them women and children, the state news agency reported. Russia, Syria's most important international ally, said for the first time that President Bashar Assad is increasingly losing control and the opposition may win the civil war. (AP Photo/SANA) Close"We call on Russia to work with us ... work with the various stakeholders in Syria to start moving towards a transitional structure, and we would like to have their help in doing that," she added.
Russia's acknowledgment that Assad could lose the fight is an embarrassing blow to the regime, which describes the rebels as terrorists sent from abroad with no popular support.
But the rebels have made significant gains in recent weeks, seizing large swaths of territory in the north and expanding their control on the outskirts of the capital, pushing the fight closer to Assad's seat of power.
The opposition still faces enormous obstacles, however, including the fact that some of its greatest battlefield successes are by extremist groups the West does not want to see running Syria ' something that could hamper international support.
On Wednesday, the U.S., Europe and their allies recognized the newly reorganized opposition leadership, giving it a stamp of credibility even though it remains to be seen if the new bloc holds much sway with the fighters on the ground.
At the same time, the regime has come under fresh condemnation as Western officials raise concerns that Assad might use chemical weapons against rebels in an act of desperation. The U.S. and NATO also say Assad's forces have fired Scud missiles at rebel areas.
"We can't confirm details of the missiles, but some of the information indicates they were Scud-type missiles," NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday in Brussels. "In general, I think the regime in Damascus is approaching collapse. I think now it's only a question of time."
Syria denied the Scud allegations. The government also has been careful not to confirm it has chemical weapons, while insisting it would never use such weapons against its own people. Syria is believed to have a formidable arsenal of chemical weapons, including sarin and mustard gas, although the exact dimensions are not known.
At Thursday's hearings in Moscow, Bogdanov said the Foreign Ministry is preparing evacuation plans for thousands of its citizens, most of whom are Russian women, married to Syrian men, and their children.
Watch: Susan Rice Withdraws From Consideration for Secretary of State
Instant Index: Inventor of the Bar Code, Norman Woodland, Dies
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Watch: Oregon Mall Shooting: Gunman Identified as Jacob Tyler Roberts
Oregon Mall Shooting: Gunman Identified as Jacob Tyler Roberts
Watch: North Korea Launches Successful Long-Range Missile
Oregon Mall Shooting: Gunman Identified as Jacob Tyler Roberts
Mall Shooter Quit Job, Was Going to Hawaii
In the days before he stole a semiautomatic weapon and stormed into an Oregon shopping mall, killing two people in a shooting spree, Jacob Roberts quit his job, sold his belongings and began to seem "numb" to those closest to him.
Roberts' ex-girlfriend, Hannah Patricia Sansburn, 20, told ABC News today that the man who donned a hockey mask and opened fire on Christmas shoppers was typically happy and liked to joke around, but abruptly changed in the week before the shooting.
Roberts unleashed a murderous volley of gunfire on the second floor of the Clackamas Town Center on Tuesday while wearing the mask and black clothing, and carrying an AR-15 semiautomatic weapon and "several" magazines full of ammunition. He ended his barrage by walking down to the first floor of the mall and committing suicide.
READ: Why Mass Shooters Wear Masks
"I don't understand," Sansburn said. "I was just with him. I just talked to him. I didn't believe it was him at all. Not one part of me believed it."
She said that in recent weeks, Roberts quit his job at a gyro shop in downtown Portland and sold all of his belongings, telling her that he was moving to Hawaii. He had even purchased a ticket.
She now wonders if he was really planning to move.
"He was supposed to catch a flight Saturday and I texted him, and asked how his flight went, and he told me, 'oh, I got drunk and didn't make the flight,'" she said. "And then this happens... It makes me think, was he even planning on going to Hawaii? He quit his job, sold all of his things."
Roberts described himself on his Facebook page as an "adrenaline junkie," and said he is the kind of person who thinks, "I'm going to do what I want."
Roberts, who attended Clackamas Community college, posted a picture of himself on his Facebook page firing a gun at a target. His Facebook photo showed graffiti in which the words "Follow Your Dreams" were painted over with the word "Cancelled."
Sansburn said the pair had dated for nearly a year but had broke up over the summer. Throughout their relationship, she had never seen him act violently or get angry.
"Jake was never the violent type. He didn't go out of his way to try to hurt people or upset people. His main goal was to make you laugh, smile, make you feel comfortable. I never would have guessed him to do anything like this ever," she said.
"You can't reconcile the differences. I hate him for what he did, but I can't hate the person I knew because it was nothing like the person who would go into a mall and go on a rampage. I would never associate the two at all."
The last time she saw him, which was last week, he "seemed numb," and she didn't understand why, she said.
"I just talked to him, stayed the night with him, and he just seemed numb if anything. He's usually very bubbly and happy, and I asked him why, what had changed, and said 'nothing.' He just had so much he had to do before he went to Hawaii that he was trying to distance himself from Portland," Sansburn said.
Sansburn said the last message she sent Roberts was a text, asking him to stay, and saying she didn't want him to leave. He replied "I'm sorry," with a sad face emoticon.
Police are still seeking information about what Roberts was doing in the days leading up to the shooting. They said today they believe Roberts stole the gun he used in the rampage from someone he knew. They have searched his home and his car for other clues into his motive.
Read ABC News' full coverage of the Oregon Mall Shooting
Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said earlier today on "Good Morning America" that he believes Roberts went into the mall with the goal of killing as many people as he could.
"I believe, at least from the information that's been provided to me at this point in time, it really was a killing of total strangers. To my knowledge at this point in time he was really trying, I think, to kill as many people as possible."
Sansburn said she has not talked to police.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Oregon Mall Shooting: Man Kills 2, Self in Rampage
A masked gunman opened fire today at Clackamas Town Center, a mall in suburban Portland, Ore., killing two people, injuring one, and then killing himself.
"I can confirm the shooter is dead of an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound," Lt. James Rhodes of the Clackamas County, Ore., Sheriff's Department said today. "By all accounts there were no rounds fired by law enforcement today in the mall."
Police have not released the names of the deceased. Rhodes said authorities are in the process of notifying victims' families. The injured victim has been transported to a local hospital.
Rhodes described the shooter as an adult male.
Witnesses from the shooting rampage said that a young man in a white hockey mask and bulletproof vest tore through the Macy's, food court, and mall hallways firing rounds at shoppers beginning around 3:30 p.m. PT today.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the busy mall full of holiday shoppers after the shooting began.
READ: Guns in America: A Statistical Look
The gunman entered the mall through a Macy's store, ran through the upper level of Macy's and opened fire near the mall food court, firing multiple shots, one right after another, with what is believed to be a black, semiautomatic rifle, according to witness reports.
Amber Tate said she was in the parking lot of the mall when she saw the shooter run by, wearing a mask and carrying a machine gun, headed for the Macy's.
"He looked like a teenager wearing a gun, like a bullet-proof vest and he had a machine, like an assault rifle and a white mask and he looked at me," she said.
Witnesses described the shooter as being on a mission and determined, looking straight ahead. He then seemed to walk through the mall toward the other end of the building, shooting along the way, according to witness reports.
Those interviewed said that Macy's shoppers and store employees huddled in a dressing room to avoid being found.
"I was helping a customer in the middle of the store, her and her granddaughter and while we were looking at sweatshirts we heard five to seven shots from a machine gun fire just outside my store," Jacob Rogers, a store clerk, told ABC affiliate KATU-TV in Portland.
"We moved everyone into the back room where there's no access to outside but where there's a camera so we can monitor what's going on out front," Rogers said.
Evan Walters, an employee at a store in the mall, told ABC News Radio that he was locked in a store for his safety and he saw two people shot and heard multiple gunshots.
"It was over 20, and it was kind of surreal because we hear pops and loud noises," he said. "We're next to the food court here and we hear pops and loud noises all the time, but we don't -- nothing like that. It was very definite gunshots."
Police are tracing the weapon used in the shooting.
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Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Watch: Gas Price Average Drops Across America Before Christmas Holiday
NFL Star Tom Brady, Wife Gisele Bundchen Have Second Child
Monday, December 10, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Watch: Inside Syria
Instant Index: Apollo 17's Lunar Launch Anniversary, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
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Instant Index: Apollo 17's Lunar Launch Anniversary, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Watch: Syria Violence: Families Flee from Fighting
Instant Index: Apollo 17's Lunar Launch Anniversary, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Court to Take Up Same-Sex Marriage
The Supreme Court today decided to take up two major cases regarding gay marriage, one of which could ultimately lead the court to decide whether there is a fundamental right to same-sex marriage.
The justices announced that the court would hear a challenge to Proposition 8, the controversial California ballot initiative that passed in 2008 that restricted marriage to opposite-sex couples, as well as a challenge to a federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Check Out Same-Sex Marriage Status in the U.S. State By State
A divided three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down "Prop 8" in February, ruling that it "serves no purpose , and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California and to officially reclassify their relationship and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples."
It was a narrow ruling, specific to California and its history with Prop 8. The court did not reach the broader question of whether there was a fundamental right to gay marriage.
Supporters of Prop 8 are asking the Supreme Court to hear an appeal of that ruling. Gay marriages have been put on hold in California until the Supreme Court decides the issue. The cases will likely be argued in March.
Opponents of Prop 8 are represented by David Boies and Theodore Olson, two lawyers who argued on opposite sides in the historic Bush v. Gore case that resulted in Bush's election as president.
Get more pure politics at ABCNews.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com
They contend in court briefs that the question about whether the states might discriminate against gay men and lesbians in the provision of marriage licenses could be the "defining civil rights issue of our time."
The court will also hear a challenge to a key section of a federal law, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. At issue in this case is not whether there is a fundamental right to gay marriage, because the same-sex couples are legally married in states that allow gay marriage, but that the gay couples alone are denied federal benefits such as the Social Security survivor assistance.
There were eight DOMA petitions filed with the court. One involved Edith Windsor, who, in 2007, married Thea Spyer, her partner of more than 40 years. The couple were married in Canada, but resided in New York until Spyer died in 2009.
Windsor was forced to pay $363,000 in federal estate taxes. She applied for a refund believing she was entitled to a marital deduction, but she was denied the claim on the grounds that she was not a "spouse" within the meaning of DOMA.
In briefs filed with the court, Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. writes, "Although Section 3 of DOMA does not purport to invalidate same-sex marriages in those States that permit them it excludes marriage from recognition for purposes of more than 1,000 federal statutes and programs whose administration turns in part on individuals' marital status."
Recent ABC News-Washington Post polls say that 51 percent of Americans support gay marriage, which is legal in nine states and the District of Columbia.
ABC News' Sarah Parnass contributed to this report.
Watch: Gay Marriage: Supreme Court to Examine Marriage Equality
Instant Index: Apollo 17's Lunar Launch Anniversary, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Friday, December 7, 2012
Watch: Unrest in Egypt: Protesters Show No Sign of Slowing Down
Instant Index: Dogs Go Out for Drive, NASA's New Images
Syria May Use Chemicals, Panetta Fears
The Obama administration fears that the beleaguered Syrian regime may unleash chemical weapons on rebels who are pressing their campaign closer to the capital of Damascus.
"I think there is no question that we remain very concerned, very concerned that as the opposition advances, in particular on Damascus, that the regime might very well consider the use of chemical weapons," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said today.
"The intelligence that we have causes serious concerns that this is being considered," he said.
The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has moved to prepare some of its chemical weapons for use. U.S. officials reacted with alarm this weekend after U.S. intelligence uncovered Syrians moving components of sarin gas into bombs on or near Syrian airfields, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.
Two U.S. officials said Wednesday it was still very unclear what the intent was behind the activity that caught their attention. There is nothing that suggests Assad ordered the chemicals be moved.
The heightened concern comes as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton imet today with U.N. Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the options to end the conflict in Syria.
The idea behind the meeting in Dublin is that the three parties might be able to revive the political transition plan on Syria put forward in Geneva in July.
Before the meeting began Clinton said, "Events on the ground in Syria are accelerating, and we see that in many different ways. The pressure against the regime in and around Damascus seems to be increasing. We've made it very clear what our position is with respect to chemical weapons."
The Obama administration has said the use of chemical weapons would be a "red line."
The meeting last for 40 minutes and a senior State Department official said, "It was a constructive discussion focused on how to support a political transition in practical terms. The U.S. and Russia committed to support Special Envoy Brahimi's efforts in that regard. The next step will be a meeting in the next few days between Special Envoy Brahimi and senior officials from the United States and Russia to discuss the specifics of taking this work forward."
That plan by the so-called Action Group for Syria called for an immediate cessation of violence, the withdrawal of Syrian troops to their bases, access for humanitarian agencies and the establishment of a transitional governing body with officials from across the political spectrum.
It did not call on Assad to step down, which Russia has long rejected, and the plan never really went anywhere. Its main proponent was former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan who later resigned as special envoy to Syria and Brahimi was appointed to the post.
As the conflict reaches almost two years, there is speculation that Russia's stance may be softening. Russia is Syria's closest ally outside the Middle East and a shift in its support for Assad would likely spell the end of his rule.
Syria's current Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad told Sky NewsWednesday that international intervention in Syria would be "dangerous for the whole region" and that it is "funny" to think that Syria could threaten a NATO country.
"In no way we can threaten a NATO country and these are just provocations and further support for the terrorist groups that are supported by the Turkish government and by many European countries," Mekdad said.
Mekdad also told Sky News that Assad will "never, ever" leave Syria and said "even if" Syria has chemical weapons it would not use them against its own people.
"We are saying if we have them we shall not use them against our people," Mekdad said.
Watch: Hillary Clinton's Exit Plan for Syria's Assad
Instant Index: Dogs Go Out for Drive, NASA's New Images
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Watch: Fiscal Cliff Warning: Conservatives Caution on Benefit Cuts
Instant Index: Dogs Go Out for Drive, NASA's New Images
Watch: Record High Temperatures Across United States
Instant Index: Dogs Go Out for Drive, NASA's New Images
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
News Summary: US Home Prices up by Most in 6 Years
PRICES RISE: A measure of U.S. home prices rose 6.3 percent in October compared with a year ago, the largest yearly gain since July 2006, according to data provider CoreLogic.
GAINS SPREAD: Prices increased in 45 states in October, up from 43 the previous month. And in 100 large metro areas, only 17 reported price declines, down from 21 in September.
HOUSING RECOVERY: Steady price increases are helping fuel the housing recovery. They encourage homeowners to sell their homes. And they entice would-be buyers to purchase homes before prices rise further.
Watch: December Heat Wave: Temperatures Suited for Spring
Fiscal Cliff: What Republicans, Democrats Agree on So Far
Watch: Housing Prices Increase Across America
Fiscal Cliff: What Republicans, Democrats Agree on So Far
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Watch: Washington, D.C., Gridlocked as Fiscal Cliff Approaches
Washington, D.C., Gridlocked as Fiscal Cliff Approaches
Kate's Illness Sometimes Linked to Twins
Hyperemesis gravidarum, the reason newly pregnant Kate Middleton is in the hospital, is a rare but acute morning sickness that results in weight loss and accounts for about 2 percent of all morning sickness, doctors say.
The condition is sometimes associated with women having twins, experts said.
Women diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum have lost 5 percent of their pre-pregnancy weight, or 10 pounds, said Dr. Ashley Roman, a professor and OB/GYN at New York University Langone Medical Center.
It poses little danger to the tiny heir, doctors said.
"It's traditionally thought that nausea and vomiting is a sign of a healthy pregnancy," Roman said
Dr. Nancy Cossler, an OB/GYN at University Hospitals in Ohio said the condition does not cause loss of pregnancy or birth defects, but it can be a torture to endure.
"The biggest problem with this is how it interferes with your life," Cossler said. "Constantly feeling sick and puking is difficult."
Click here to read about other women with hyperemesis gravidarum.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is thought to be caused by higher levels of the pregnancy hormone, hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, Cossler said. Extra hCG can often be brought on by carrying more than one fetus, she said.
In other words, it could be a sign that Middleton is carrying twins. Although there's very little data on twins and hyperemesis gravidarum, one study showed that women carrying twins had a 7.5 percent higher risk of experiencing the acute morning sickness, Roman said.
The extreme morning sickness is usually diagnosed about nine weeks into the pregnancy, and in most cases resolves itself by 16 or 20 weeks, Roman said. In rare cases, it can last the whole pregnancy.
"As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter," a statement from St. James Palace said. Prince William is at the hospital with Middleton, according to the Britain's Press Association.
Click here for photos of Kate through the years.
Roman said doctors prescribe vitamins and ginger capsules at first. If that doesn't stop the vomiting, they will prescribe antihistamines and stronger anti-nausea medications.
Women with hyperemesis gravidarum are also treated with fluids, said Dr. Jessica Young, an OB/GYN at Vanderbilt University. But if left untreated, a pregnant woman who is severely dehydrated for a long period of time could die, "just like any person," Young said.
In extreme cases in which the woman is losing weight and unable to eat, doctors will treat her with intravenous nutrition, Young said.
Hospital stays can vary, and women will often have to be admitted more than once before the condition passes, doctors said.
Hyperemesis gravidarum is somewhat mysterious because some expectant mothers have acute morning sickness during only one of their pregnancies, but have no morning sickness for subsequent pregnancies.
There is a chance that higher levels of hCG, which likely caused Middleton's nausea, could be a sign of a molar pregnancy instead of twins, Cossler said. This would mean Middleton is carrying only a benign growth in her uterus instead of a fetus, or she is carrying a fetus with abnormal DNA and a benign growth. Neither is considered a viable pregnancy.
However, Cossler said molar pregnancies become apparent early on, and doctors would already know whether Middleton had one.
"They would not have released this information," Cossler said of the birth announcement. "I'm certain that they have already eliminated both of those [types of molar pregnancies]."
Watch: Kate Middleton Pregnant, Rushed to Hospital
Washington, D.C., Gridlocked as Fiscal Cliff Approaches
Monday, December 3, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
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Person of the Week: Aimee Mullins, Advocate for Women
2 Charged in Fla. With Terror Support
Two South Florida men of Pakistani descent have been charged with plotting to provide material support to terrorists and to use a weapon of mass destruction within the U.S., federal prosecutors said Friday.
The men were identified as brothers Sheheryar Alam Qazi, 30, and 20-year-old Raees Alam Qazi. Both are naturalized U.S. citizens originally from Pakistan and both were arrested in the Fort Lauderdale area, prosecutors said.
Few details about the plot were provided by prosecutors or outlined in a brief, three-page grand jury indictment. Authorities said the case was not an FBI sting operation but declined any additional comment.
"Any potential threat posed by these two individuals has been disrupted," said Miami U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer.
In Washington, Justice Department national security spokesman Dean Boyd called the case "an ongoing, very active investigation" but provided no specifics.
The indictment charges that the two provided money, property, lodging, communications equipment and other support for a conspiracy to obtain a weapon of mass destruction between July 2011 and this week. The goal was to "use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) against persons and property within the United States," prosecutors said in a news release.
It wasn't clear whether the conspirators actually did obtain explosives or what their potential targets might have been.
The Qazi brothers had initial court appearances Friday, but court-appointed attorneys for the two did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. An arraignment and bail hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7.
They are both charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence, and with conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. The maximum is life in prison for that charge.
South Florida has seen several high-profile terrorism cases, including the conviction of al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla and the convictions of five men accused of plotting to join forces with al-Qaida to destroy a landmark Chicago skyscraper and bomb FBI offices in several cities.
More recently, a Miami Muslim cleric and one of his sons are facing trial on charges they provided thousands of dollars in financial support to the Pakistani Taliban terrorism group.
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Associated Press writer Eileen Sullivan in Washington contributed to this story.
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Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt
Watch: FEDS: Terror Plot Foiled in South Florida
Person of the Week: Aimee Mullins, Advocate for Women
Friday, November 30, 2012
Watch: Mitt Romney, President Obama's Private Lunch at the White House
Mitt Romney, President Obama's Private Lunch at the White House
Watch: Powerball Lottery Drawing: Winners From Arizona, Missouri
Mitt Romney, President Obama's Private Lunch at the White House
'Fiscal Cliff' Talks Falter
President Obama and Mitt Romney met face to face today for the first time since the election, breaking bread at the White House as talks over the looming "fiscal cliff" appeared to be faltering on Capitol Hill.
"I bet it was and is quite tasty," Obama spokesman Jay Carney said of the lunch as it was underway, "because [the chefs] know how to prepare very fine meals."
The menu included white turkey chili and Southwestern grilled chicken salad, the White House said in a written statement following the meal. The discussion was said to center on "America's leadership in the world and the importance of maintaining that leadership position in the future."
The former rivals concluded their 70-minute encounter with a visit to the Oval Office, the symbolic center of American power to which Romney has long tried to accede, shaking hands before the iconic "Resolute" presidential desk.
"Governor Romney congratulated the President for the success of his campaign and wished him well over the coming four years," the White House said. "They pledged to stay in touch, particularly if opportunities to work together on shared interests arise in the future."
The lunch took place in an elegant private dining room in the West Wing overlooking the manicured gardens of the White House South Lawn. Romney was seen coming and going from a side entrance in a black SUV. The former GOP nominee arrived without fanfare or entourage, opening his own car door both times.
President Obama said during a news conference earlier this month that he was interested in speaking with Romney about his ideas on jobs and economic growth, noting that his rival had "presented some ideas during the course of the campaign that I actually agree with."
Administration officials said there was no formal agenda for today's lunch or a "specific ask" or assignment for the governor.
Romney, who has kept a relatively low profile since losing the election on Nov. 6, has not publicly addressed Obama's post-election overtures or the prospect of working together. Both men have little personal history and had a chilly relationship during the campaign.
Senior Romney campaign strategist Eric Fehrnstrom called Obama's lunch invitation "gracious" and said that Romney was "glad to accept." The governor also met earlier Thursday in Washington with former running mate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
The Obama-Romney detente came as talks between the White House and congressional Republicans to prevent the economy from going over the "fiscal cliff" of mandatory spending cuts and tax increases set for Jan. 1 appeared to hit a snag.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, the lead White House negotiator in the talks, and White House legislative chief Rob Nabors held a flurry of meetings today with congressional leaders of both parties in the House and Senate.
But following sessions, top Republicans poured cold water on what had been budding optimism of progress toward a deal.
"No substantive progress has been made over the last two weeks," said House Speaker John Boehner at a press conference.
"We know what the menu is. What we don't know is what the White House is willing to do to get serious about solving our debt crisis," he said, accusing the administration of failing to detail plans for significant spending cuts to correspond with desired tax revenue increases.
Obama and Boehner spoke by phone Wednesday night, sources told ABC News, their second conversation in four days. Boehner described it as "direct and straightforward," but suggested "disappointment" with Obama's reticence to waver on hiking tax rates on the wealthy.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in advance of his meeting with Geithner, said everything the White House has put down on the table so far has been "counterproductive," and he hopes that the Treasury Secretary brings "a specific plan from the president" with him today.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Watch: Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Deadline: Americans Voice Concerns
Powerball Jackpot Pools: Tips to Keep Friends, Avoid Court
Powerball Jackpot Swells to $550M
The Powerball jackpot just increased to a record $550 million ahead of tonight's hotly anticipated lottery drawing.
The allure of the record Powerball jackpot has led to long lines across the nation at local mini-marts and gas stations, with Americans hoping their champagne and caviar dreams become a reality when the numbers are drawn tonight.
The jackpot was boosted Tuesday from $425 million to the historic $500 million sum. The jackpot swelled Wednesday to $550 million as millions of Americans rush to the store for their last chance to purchase a ticket and become a multi-millionaire overnight.
Powerball officials tell ABC News they are selling 131,000 tickets every minute leading up to the drawing, up from the expected 105,000 a minute. When the dust settles, more than 189 million tickets would have been sold for the half a billion-dollar jackpot. That's more than double the number sold for Saturday's $325 jackpot that nobody won.
ABC News was allowed access to the Powerball studios in Tallahassee, Fla., where the 11 p.m. ET drawing will take place. The closely guarded machines and balls are locked in a vault before the numbers are drawn and only a select few are allowed inside the room during the actual broadcast.
Anyone who enters or leaves the vault is documented and workers who handle the lottery balls wear gloves, worried that human touch might change what numbers are randomly drawn.
Cameras are located in every nook and cranny of the Powerball studio, spying on workers as they ready the machines for the big moment. Lottery officials in several states will be watching those feeds in real time to monitor the proceedings.
Not everyone has Powerball fever in the country as tickets for tonight's jackpot are not offered in eight states. But that has not stopped many Californians and Nevadans who have flocked to Arizona to get in on the action.
"I'd say the line has to be like three, three and a half hours," one person told ABC News while waiting online to purchase tickets Tuesday.
Still, the long lines have not deterred those who hope to dramatically change their lifestyle and make their wildest dreams become a reality.
"I'm going to the Bahamas and enjoying myself on an island," said one Powerball hopeful.
Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Des Moines, Iowa-based Multi-State Lottery Association, said the chance of getting a winner tonight is approaching 60 percent.
"We call it the redneck retirement fund cause sooner or later, somebody is going to," said one man.
There has been no Powerball winner since Oct. 6 ' that's 16 consecutive drawings without a winner. It's the second-highest jackpot in US lottery history, behind only the $656 million Mega Millions prize in March.
Powerball tickets doubled in price in January to $2, and while the number of tickets sold initially dropped, sales revenue has increased by about 35 percent over 2011, according to the Associated Press.
Lottery officials put the odds of winning Wednesday's Powerball pot at one in 175 million. With so many people plaything this time around, some are worried it may hurt their odds.
"Your odds of being a winner are still the same. With so many people playing, it does mean are more likely to split the jackpot if you want," said Scott Norris, math professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Watch: Powerball Jackpot Reaches $550 Million
Powerball Jackpot Pools: Tips to Keep Friends, Avoid Court
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
GOP Senators 'Significantly Troubled' After Susan Rice Meeting
United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice's attempts to "make nice" with a trio of Republican senators who have criticized her response to the Sept. 11 terror attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, seem to have backfired.
The senators said they left their face-to-face meeting with Rice this morning "more concerned" and "significantly troubled."
The three Republicans, Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, said not only did Rice, who was joined by Acting CIA Director Mike Morell, not answer all their questions about the attack but did little to assuage their overall worries.
"We are significantly troubled by many of the answers that we got, and some that we didn't get concerning evidence that was overwhelming leading up to the attack on the consulate," McCain said.
"The concerns I have are greater today than before, and we're not even close to getting the basic answers," Graham said.
Today's meeting was seen as part of Rice's Capitol Hill "charm offensive," as her possible nomination to become the next secretary of state has met with some vocal opposition ' especially from McCain, Graham and Ayotte, who still seemed to steer clear of questions about whether they would stand in the way if Rice was nominated.
"Before anybody can make an intelligent decision about promoting someone involved in Benghazi, we need to do a lot more," Graham said. "To this date, we don't have the FBI interviews of the survivors conducted one or two days after the attack. We don't have the basic information about what was said the night of the attack ... as of this date."
Graham compared the situation to 2006, when Senate Democrats blocked the nomination of John Bolton, President Bush's choice for U.N. ambassador.
What the senators seemed to find most problematic was Rice's statement on the Sunday morning news shows days after the attack. At first, she said it was a "spontaneous" attack and not a terrorist attack.
Ayotte said that in today's meeting Rice called the information she first gave to the American people wrong.
"It's certainly clear from the beginning that we knew that those with ties to al Qaeda were involved in the attack on the embassy, and clearly the impression that was given, the information given to the American people, was wrong," Ayotte said.
Rice said in a statement following the meeting: "We explained that the talking points provided by the intelligence community, and the initial assessment upon which they were based, were incorrect in a key respect: There was no protest or demonstration in Benghazi. While, we certainly wish that we had had perfect information just days after the terrorist attack, as is often the case, the intelligence assessment has evolved. We stressed that neither I nor anyone else in the administration intended to mislead the American people at any stage in this process, and the administration updated Congress and the American people as our assessments evolved."
Ayotte said that as the U.N. ambassador, Rice should have stepped up and said that she couldn't go on the Sunday morning news shows and talk about the attack without complete information.
Graham, like Ayotte, said it would have been better not to have given any information at all.
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New Hampshire Home Invasion: Doctor, Wife Hospitalized
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Watch: Cyber Monday Racks Up Online Sales
False Future?: Whistleblower says Colleges Deceive Students, Parents about Job Prospects Post Graduation
Inside Amazon's Mega Warehouse
The inner world of Amazon looks like a bustle of conveyor belts and bargains on Cyber Monday.
Amazon has 80 giant fulfillment centers strategically sprinkled around the globe that are ready to fulfill every order from click to delivery. The process follows miles of conveyer belts inside a massive 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse that is like the unseen shopping mall that never closes.
Josh Teeter is a former military intelligence officer and now the general manager of Amazon's Phoenix warehouse. The facility stocks everything from soccer balls to table cloths and one of the biggest tasks is making sure they always have enough of the right products.
"That's kind of the magic of Amazon and the selection. Making sure you have all that and it's here at the right time," Teeter said. "So we're the kind of customer facing side of that there's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure we have the right product."
You won't find any robots inside Amazon's fulfillment centers. Orders pop up on a scanner, get plucked from a shelf by hand and are then dropped into a barcoded yellow bin.
Amazon added a small army of extra workers in its fulfillment centers just to handle the holidays and all those electronics, tie die fashion kits and heated pet bowls that absolutely must get out the door and fast.
"It gets very busy at this time, and folks work hard for sure but again, we bring in help we're hiring 50,000 seasonal employees to help meet that demand and we're excited," Corporate Vice President Craig Berman said.
Amazon has faced serious complaints that workers are pushed to the limit in tough conditions and encouraged not to report on the job injuries. But Berman was quick to point out that their employees actually make far better wages than their brick and mortar shopping mall counterparts.
"We are a company of constant improvement so these jobs are very, very safe jobs, and our wages, they're very well paying jobs," Berman said.
In 2010, Cyber Monday racked up 13 million individual Amazon items sold in 24 hours. Last year the number grew to 17 million. This year, the company says, will turn out to be the biggest yet.
One of Amazon's secrets is barcodes. Everything inside their warehouses has a bar code to find it, to ship it, to track it.
But how can they have everything from medieval chainmail to clock oil and binocular magnifying glasses on hand at all times? Only part of the answer is huge inventory. The other part comes from small business owners like Dan O'Donnell whose tiny jewelry supply store, which sells that clock oil, has exploded by selling through Amazon. These small businesses' stuff show's up on Amazon's website and Amazon gets a cut of the action.
But despite the huge inventory and third party sellers, Amazon still can't guarantee the lowest prices, so be sure to shop around for the best deals.
Monday, November 26, 2012
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False Future?: Whistleblower says Colleges Deceive Students, Parents about Job Prospects Post Graduation
Watch: False Future?: Whistleblower says Colleges Deceive Students, Parents about Job Prospects Post Graduation
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Saturday, November 24, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Watch: Fog Brings Deadly Pile-Up, Shuts Texas Interstate
Fog Brings Deadly Pile-Up, Shuts Texas Interstate
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Gaza Cease-Fire Largely Ends Rockets
The rockets and missiles fell silent over Gaza for the first time in eight days today, but gunfire erupted in the crowded streets of the Palestinian enclave to celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire in the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The two sides fired final salvos at one another up until the final moments before the 2 p.m. ET cease-fire deadline. At least one Israeli missile landed at 1:57 p.m. ET in Gaza, and four rockets were launched toward the Israeli province of Beer Sheva at 1:59 p.m. ET.
After 2 p.m. ET, however, the sky was finally empty of munitions.
Later, however, Israeli officials said several missiles from Gaza flew into Israel after the cease-fire.
The eight days of fighting left 130 Palestinians and five Israelis dead, and badly damaged many of Gaza's buildings. A bomb that exploded on a bus in Tel Aviv earlier today left an additional 10 Israelis wounded.
FULL COVERAGE: Israel-Gaza Conflict
The fighting came to an end after a meeting between Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"This is a critical moment for the region," Clinton said after the meeting, standing next to Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr to announce the deal.
"The people of this region deserve a chance to live free of fear and violence and today's agreement is a step" in that direction, Clinton said. "Now we have to focus on reaching a durable outcome."
PHOTOS: Israel, Hamas Fight Over Gaza
Clinton said that Egypt and the U.S. would help support the peace process going forward.
"Ultimately every step must move us toward a comprehensive peace for people of the region," she said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the cease-fire from Tel Aviv after Clinton's announcement.
"I agree that that it was a good idea to give an opportunity to the cease-fire... in order to enable Israeli citizens to return to their day to day lives," Netanyahu said.
He reiterated that it was vital to Israel's security to "prevent smuggling of arms to terrorist organizations" in the future.
An Israeli official told ABC News that the ceasefire would mean a "quiet for quiet" deal, in which both sides stop shooting and "wait and see what happens."
"Who knows if the ceasefire will even last two minutes," the official said. The official said that any possible agreement on borders and blockades on the Gaza/Israel border would come only after a period of quiet.
INFOGRAPHIC: Strike Point: Israel, Hamas, and the Unwinnable Conflict
Clinton and Morsi met for three hours in Cairo today to discuss an end to the violence. The secretary of state met with Netanyahu Tuesday night for more than two hours, saying she sought to "de-escalate the situation in Gaza."
The fighting dragged on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning despite Hamas officials declaring publicly Tuesday afternoon that they expected a cease-fire would be announced Tuesday night, after Clinton and Netanyahu's talks.
The airstrikes by the Israeli Defense Forces overnight hit government ministries, underground tunnels, a banker's empty villa and a Hamas-linked media office. At least four strikes within seconds of each other pulverized a complex of government ministries the size of a city block, rattling nearby buildings and shattering windows.
Hours later, clouds of acrid dust still hung over the area and smoke still rose from the rubble. Gaza health officials said there were no deaths or injuries.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Clinton Pledges to 'De-Escalate' Gaza Conflict
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met for more than two hours today behind closed doors with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, saying she sought to "de-escalate the situation in Gaza."
Clinton, who flew to Israel today, appeared with Netanyahu ahead of their 4 p.m. ET meeting to discuss a possible ceasefire to the fighting between Israel and Islamic militants in Gaza.
"They discussed efforts to de-escalate the situation and bring about a sustainable outcome that protects Israel's security and improves the lives of civilians in Gaza," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a written statement after the meeting. "They also consulted on [Clinton's] impending stops in Ramallah and Cairo, including Egyptian efforts to advance de-escalation. They pledged to stay in close touch as she continues her travels."
The meeting came amid statements from Hamas earlier today that a ceasefire would soon be announced.
Netanyahu said he would prefer to use "diplomatic means" to find a solution to the fighting, but that Israel would take "whatever actions necessary" to defend its people.
"One of the things that we are doing is trying to resist and counter a terrorist barrage which is aimed directly at our civilians," Netanyahu said. "No country can tolerate a wanton attack on its civilians."
Clinton relayed a message from President Obama, reinforcing America's commitment to Israel's security and calling for an end to the rockets coming from "terrorist organizations in Gaza."
The Israel-Gaza Conflict in Pictures
"America's commitment to Israel's security is rock solid and unwavering. That is why we believe it is essential to de-escalate the situation in Gaza," Clinton said.
Clinton added that she would reiterate her message to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi during a meeting on Wednesday.
"President Obama has emphasized the same points in his multiple conversations with President Morsi of Egypt, and we appreciate President Morsi's personal leadership and Egypt's efforts thus far," she said. "As a regional leader and neighbor, Egypt has the opportunity and responsibility to continue playing a crucial and constructive role in this process. I will carry this message to Cairo tomorrow."
Clinton expressed her condolences for the Palestinian and Israeli civilians who have been killed in the violent outbreak.
The rocket fire between Israel and Hamas, which began six days ago, has claimed more than 130 Palestinian lives and five Israeli lives. Half the Palestinian deaths were civilians; four of the five Israelis were civilians. A ceasefire, if reached, would bring a halt to the worst violence between Gaza and Israel in four years.
Israeli officials told ABC News earlier today that a final deal had not been brokered between Israel and Hamas, and that if a pact were reached, it would not be announced until after midnight local time, or 5 p.m. ET.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told ABC News the news would be announced at a press conference in Cairo, where Morsi has been trying to broker an end to the fighting.
An Islamic Jihad website also reported that the ceasefire would go into effect tonight.
Clinton will also meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas about the fighting.
In the meantime, however, Abu Zuhri called on all militant groups to continue firing rockets on Israel "in retaliation for the Israeli massacres."
Israeli missiles also continued to explode in Gaza while sirens sounded in Israel, signalling incoming rocket fire from Gaza.
Hamas said three Palestinian journalists were killed by an Israeli missile today, and Israel said one of its soldiers was killed by a Palestinian rocket today.
Gazans streamed out of northern neighborhoods during the afternoon after the Israel Defense Forces dropped leaflets telling residents to evacuate before dark. Scared Palestinians poured into Gaza City, cars and trucks piled high with belongings, many heading to schools for shelter.
ABC News' Matt Gutman contributed to this report
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Middle East on Brink: Ceasefire for Israel, Hamas Expected This Week
Watch: Middle East on Brink: Ceasefire for Israel, Hamas Expected This Week
Middle East on Brink: Ceasefire for Israel, Hamas Expected This Week
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Israelis Kill Militant Commander
An Israeli strike on a Gaza City high-rise today has killed one of the top militant leaders of Islamic Jihad, the Palestinian militant group said.
The second strike in two days on the downtown Gaza City building that houses the Hamas TV station, Al Aqsa, has killed Ramez Harb, who is a leading figure in Al Quds Brigades militant wing, according to a text message Islamic Jihad sent to reporters.
Witnesses told the AP that the Israeli airstrike, part of a widening effort to suppress Hamas rocket fire into Israel, struck the building Monday afternoon, and ambulances quickly rushed to the scene. Paramedics told the AP that one person was killed and several wounded.
It is also the second high profile commander taken out in the Israeli offensive, which began six days ago with a missile strike that killed Ahmed Jibari, Hamas' top military commander.
Today mourners buried the 11 victims of an Israeli air strike on Sunday, the single deadliest incident since the escalation between Hamas and Israel began Wednesday. Among the dead were nine members of the Daloo family, killed when an Israeli warplane targeted their home in Gaza City while trying to kill a Hamas rocket maker, whose fate is unknown.
Palestinian deaths climbed to 96 Monday when four more, including two children, were killed in a strike on a sports stadium the Israel Defense Forces said was being used to launch rockets. Gaza health officials said half of those killed were children, women or elderly men.
With the death toll rising, Egypt accelerated efforts to broker a cease-fire, but so far the two sides are far apart. Egypt is being supported by Qatar and Turkey in its peacemaking mission and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to arrive at the talks later today.
President Obama called Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today to discuss ways to reduce tensions and bring the fighting to a halt.
Israel carried out 80 air strikes this morning, down from previous morning totals. There were 75 militant rocket launches, the Israeli military said, also a relatively low tally. The Israel Defense Forces said that since Wednesday, around 1,100 strikes had been carried out in Gaza while militants have launched about 1,000 rockets towards Israel.
Three Israeli civilians died from militant rocket fire in one attack Thursday and dozens have been wounded.
Sunday proved to be one the deadliest days of what Israel has called "Operation Pillar of Defense" with at least 23 Palestinians reported killed. Of those, at least 14 were women and children, according to a Gaza health official. The Israel Defense Forces told ABC News it was targeting Hamas rocket maker Yehiya Bia, who lives near the Daloo family in a densely populated Gaza neighborhood and has not been accounted for.
Israel shifted its tactics this weekend from striking rocket arsenals and firing positions to targeting the homes of senior Hamas commanders and the offices of Hamas politicians in Gaza. Doing so brought the violence into Gaza's most densely populated areas.
Israel hit two high-rise buildings Sunday that house the offices of Hamas and international media outlets, injuring at least six journalists.
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Monday, November 19, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Israeli, Palestinian Truce Cracks
Israeli air strikes and rocket launches from the Gaza Strip stretched into the third day despite talk of a temporary truce.
Israel said it would stop its aerial bombardment of Gaza as Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil visits the narrow enclave, but Palestinian militants continued to fire rockets toward Israel amid the sounds of Israeli missiles landing in Gaza City.
Sirens wailed today in Jerusalem, one of the holiest cities in the world, as it became a target for the first time in this conflict.
"Of course," one member of a militant group told ABC News, "we wouldn't fire rockets if Israel wasn't killing us."
Israel said that more than 150 sites had been targeted overnight, including weapons depots and rocket-launching sites. About 20,000 Israeli reservists have now been drafted as Israeli troops and tanks mass along the border of the Gaza Strip -- apparent preparations for a ground invasion.
Fighting between the two sides escalated sharply Thursday with the first rocket attack from Gaza on Tel Aviv during this burst of violence. No casualties were reported, but three Israelis died in the country's rocket-scarred south when a projectile slammed into an apartment building. More than 550 rockets have been launched at Israel so far, though the military said that one-third had been intercepted by the anti-missile Iron Dome system.
The last time rockets threatened Tel Aviv was during the 1991 Gulf War when Iraqi President Saddam Hussein fired scud missiles into the city.
The death toll in the densely populated Palestinian territory now stands at 30. They are mostly civilians and include at least six children.
The Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas militants have exchanged verbal jabs over social media. Israel tweeted Thursday through its @idfspokesperson, "We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead."
The Israeli Defense Forces Twitter account has gained more than 50,000 followers in the past 24 hours.
Hamas fired back through its account, @AlQassamBrigade, "Our blessed hands will reach your leaders and soldiers wherever they are (You Opened Hell Gates on Yourselves)."
Back in Washington, President Obama has been fielding calls from leaders across the Middle East on the mounting violence.
Aboard Air Force One, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Thursday that the administration strongly condemns the ongoing rocket fire from Gaza.
"Hamas claims to have the best interest of the Palestinian people at heart, yet it continues to engage in violence that is counterproductive to the Palestinian cause," Carney said.
Israeli has targeted more than 250 sites across Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, since the operation dubbed "Pillar of Defense" began Wednesday evening.
The first strike was on Ahmed Jabari, the chief of staff of the military wing of Hamas, the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades.
It was followed by a wave of airstrikes on other militants, buildings and installations, notably launching sites and rockets, which included the long-range Fajar rockets.
Gaza Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed revenge for Jabari's death.
"His blood will not be in vain," Haniyeh said.
The last time the region saw this amount of violence was four years ago when Israel conducted air and ground invasions of Gaza. It lasted three weeks and left more than 1,400 people dead.
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Gulf Coast Oil Rig Bursts Into Flames; 2 Workers Missing, 4 Injured
Watch: Hamas Fires Rockets at Jerusalem
Gulf Coast Oil Rig Bursts Into Flames; 2 Workers Missing, 4 Injured
Friday, November 16, 2012
Israeli Tanks Move Toward Border
Israeli troops and tanks moved toward the border of the Gaza Strip today and the government authorized the call-up of reservists as air strikes failed to halt the rounds of rockets being fired from the Hamas-controlled territory.
The U.S. State Department today blamed Hamas for the escalation of violence.
Click here for scenes from Gaza during the air strikes and rocket attacks.
"This is violence instigated by Hamas," said Mark Toner, the department's deputy spokesman. "As we've said very clearly in our statement yesterday, that we extend our sympathies to the victims, innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians that have been affected by this violence. But let's be very clear where the onus lies."
Israeli air strikes that hit more than 150 targets across Gaza since the operation dubbed "Pillar of Defense" began Wednesday evening.
The first strike was on Ahmed Jabari, the chief of staff of the military wing of Hamas, the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades.
It was followed by a wave of airstrikes on other militants, buildings and installations, notably launching sites and rockets, which included the long-range Fajar rockets that could reach Tel Aviv.
Hamas sources said a dozen Palestinians have been killed, including at least two children. One child was just 11 months old.
"What did my son do to die like this?" the child's father cried.
Today, Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed revenge for Jabari's death.
"His blood will not be in vain," Haniyeh said.
Hamas and other militant groups retaliated against Israel with a fresh barrage of rockets that killed at least three Israelis -- the first Israeli deaths in the escalation -- in the southern town of Kiryat Malakhi.
At least one rocked from Gaza militants landed in Tel Aviv, Israel's commercial capital, as sirens blared and residents ran for cover.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups have fired more than 200 rockets into southern Israel today, according to Israel's military.
"We are still at the beginning of the event, not at the end, and we expect some complicated tests ahead," Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a nationally televised address Monday night, standing next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to The Associated Press, Israel has started moving its troops toward Gaza and has called up reservists in anticipation of a ground operation. Military officials, however, had not decided whether to enter Gaza, the AP reported.
Israeli officials say the operation is in response to more than 800 rockets that have landed in Israel this year.
Barak laid out the four goals of "Pillar of Defense": to strengthen deterrence, damage the rocket launching network, hit Hamas and its allies and to minimize the damage in Israel.
When the Israeli offensive began Monday, its military tweeted, "We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead."
Hamas fired back saying that Israel "opened the gates of hell" by assassinating Jabari.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012
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